Radial-draft gear.



F. R. CAMPBELL RADIAL DRAf GEM?.

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Patented May 2l, 1918. 2 SHETS-SHEET at] @Hoznu 2 SHEElS-SHEE 2.

Patented May 2l, 1918.

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lpeoltion o! Letters Intent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

To all who@ it may, concern' Be it known that I, FRAN-K a citizen of the United States,

R. Cairrnu., and a resident of Cleveland, .in the county of Cuyahoga` and State of Ohio, have invented newtan useful Improvements in Radial-DraftGears, of which the following is a specification, the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan showing'the application of my invention to a radial draft gear; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof, with the coupler shank in section, and Fig. 4is a diagrammatic view showing the clutch in disconnected position.

My invention relates to radial draft gears and consists in mechanism for disengaging or renderin inoperative the connection between tlie draft member and the guiding means, and to permit the draft member to be mnved laterally by ,hand when so -disconnected, into osition to intercouple on curves with coup ers upon cars of ordinary type not equipped with radial draft gear. My invention also relates to the construction and cooperation of the various parts which I shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings, 2 is the draft member, pivoted at 3 in the usual manner to the car, and 4 indicates the guiding connection carried by the truck. The releasing connection between the draft member 2 and the guiding member 4 consists of a clutch 5, pivoted to the draft member and bifurcated so as to engage o posite sides of the forward end of the gui ing member 4, as is described and shown in Letters Patent No. 1,090,656, of Ernest H. Schmidt, dated March 17, 1914. y

The release-operating and coupler-swinging mechanism consists of an actuating rod 6, secured at its outer end by a clevis 7 to a guide rod 8 attached to Van end sill 9. The rod 6 at its inner end has an angled portion 10, which extends through the eye 11 of the lever 12. The lever. 12 is preferably located in thelongitudinal, center line of the car, and has alternate fulcrum arms 13, 13', which normally bear against shoulders 14, 14 of the casting 15, which also forms the bearing socket for t,e carrier segment lli. At the fear rml of the lever l2 is an eye 1T, for attachment of the rod 18, which pressions,

scribed, or portions is secured to the clutch 5l above its pivot 5', and which exte de through an aperture 16 in the carrier s gment 16, so as to permit a ull to be transmitted from the lever 12 to t e clutch 5 in the longitudinal center line of the can When a car equipped with the mechanism just described is to be coupled on a curved track to the car having a coupler mounted with the 'usual limited side clearance, or pull upon the actuating rod (i will cau'se the lever to fulcrum upon one of the sockets 14 or 14', and, as the lever turns about the socket, the eye 17 will move forwardly, carryin the rod 18 with it and tipping the clutc 5 rearwardly out of engagement wit the guiding or centering member 4. The clutch will tip upwardly until it strikes the draft member 2. When the rod 18 has tipped the clutch to this position, the lever 12 will have moved laterally so that its forward portion will strike an inner face of the casting 15 just forward of either should er 14er 14', thereb preventing further rotative movement o the lever. As the lever will then transmitA force directly to the housing 15 the connecting rod 18 will be relieved of stress due 'to centering the coupler, and any further force ap lied through the actuating rod 6 and the ever 12 will swing the coupler and the draft member laterally into position for coupling with the opposing car when equipped with a draft rigging of ordinary type When the actuatin rod 6 is released, the clutch 5, because o its weight, will drop to normal position. When the draft member is subsequently returned by the relative movement of the car body and truck to a position over the guiding connection arm, the' clutch 5,A by its contact with the guiding arm 4, will be rotated upwardly and will then fall into engagementl with the arm, and the guiding mechanis will become operative.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used asterms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and exof excluding any mechanical of the features' shown and dethereof, but recognize that various structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

equivalents a push What I claim is: i 1. In a radial draft gear provided with a.

' coupler, a horizontally swinging draft member iivotally mounted on a car, a. guiding' mem er mounted on a car truck, an intermediate member formin the draft member'and t e guiding member, a lever mounted ou the draft membervconneeted to the intermediate member, and an actuating rod, said lever having alternative ulerums, whereby when the 4actuating rod is actuated in either direction the lever' will rotate about one of said fulcrums to disconnect the intermediate member from the guiding member and permit the coupler to swin 1n the direction of the push or pull applic tothe actuatin rod.

2. In a radial dra t gear provided with a movable transversely of the car to actuate the lever to' disconnect the intermediate member from the u iding member and to move the draft mem er transversely into position for coupling with a coupler having a gear' of another type.

a connection. with' 3. In a radial draft gear provided with a coupler, a g'ltiiding member mounteden a truck, a dra a carbsupporting an `jmterme iate member engaglng the aiding member and a lever connected to t e intermediate member, an

'actuating rod adapted by an,endvvise move- 'ment to rotate the lever to disconnect the intermediate member from the guiding mem- `ber, and a stop on the draft member adapted to limit the rotative movement of the lever, w'hen the intermediate member has been disconnected, whereby further endwise movement of the actuating rod will move the draft member into couplingv oeition with a coupler having a gear o anot er type.

A. In a radial draft gear provided with a coupler, a horizontally-swinging draft member ivotally mounted on a. car, a guiding mem er mounted on a car truck, an intermediate member formin a connection with the draft member and tge guiding member, a lever mounted on the draft member, con nected to the intermediate member, and adapted to be actuated transversely in either direction, an actuating member engaging said lever, and a stop shoulder depending from the draft member adapted to limit the member pivotall mounted on ,A

movement of the lever, said actuating member being adapted to be moved transversely of the car to actuate said lever to disconnect the intermediate member from the guiding member, and to move the draft member radii.

ally after the lever is brought into bearing y against said stop member.

FRANK R. CAMPBELL. 

